Cristiano Ronaldo hints at Juventus exit with lengthy, emotional statement

In a surprising move, Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo decided to leave Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench when they played one of their most important games of the season on Sunday. The UEFA Champions League berth was at stake, but the Portuguese star did not play a single minute.

Juventus travelled to Emilia-Romagna to face Bologna in their final Serie A match of the 2020/21 season. The Old Lady needed to win and at the same time count on Napoli to drop points. This is the only combination of results that could get them into the Champions League.

In the end, the Bianconeri won 4-1 and successfully booked a place in the UEFA Champions League after Napoli only managed a 1-1 draw against Verona.

After the match, Ronaldo took to Instagram to post a lengthy message about what he has achieved in Juventus since joining the club in 2018. In the past season alone, despite losing out on the Serie A title and the Champions League, there was much to celebrate. "I have to value everything that we achieved this season at Juventus, both in collective and individual terms. The Italian Super Cup, the Italian Cup and the Serie A Top Scorer trophy fill me with happiness, mainly due to the difficulty they carry with them, in a country where nothing is easy to win," he said.

What is more interesting is how he said that he has already achieved the goal he set for himself when he joined Juventus. "With these achievements, I reached a goal that I had set myself since the first day I arrived in Italy: to win the Championship, the Cup and the Super Cup, and also to be Best Player and Top Scorer in this great football country filled with tremendous players, giant clubs and a very own football culture," he added.

This statement fuelled more speculations about Ronaldo's future, with many suggesting that it sounds like a farewell post. He concluded his statement by saying, "Nothing compares to the feeling of knowing that I've left my mark in the countries where I've played, and that I gave joy to the fans of the clubs I represented. This is what I work for, this is what moves me and this is what I'll always keep chasing for until the last day."

It remains to be seen if this was indeed a farewell post, or merely a profound reflection on the player's part.